Social Protection
This page shows the efforts of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to achieve economic, social and psychological stability for citizens, improve the quality of life and reduce risks, and support them when needed in their various stages of life in order to guarantee the right to a decent life, reduce poverty and vulnerability and exclusion.
Social welfare systems
The social protection system was developed according to carefully considered strategies to achieve a healthy and possible society, as it was built with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development efforts. To stabilize the citizens, improve their quality of life, overcome the risks facing them, and work to maintain their economic, social, and psychological support. The state has also put in place preventive programs to enhance the support of individuals and society of all groups to meet their various needs and set up care and rehabilitation programs for those in need of permanent assistance to reach a stable, balanced and equal community building. For more details please click here.
The groups benefiting from the social welfare program:
- Widows
- Divorced women
- People with disabilities
- The Elderly
- Orphans
- Children of unknown parentage
- Unemployed persons
- The poor and the needy
- Those affected by disasters and pandemics
Social Services
Childhood and orphans
To protect the rights of the child in general, and orphans in particular, and to ensure their care, the Childhood and Orphans System was created to ensure that the General Administration for the Care of Orphans and those of similar status set the necessary policies to take care of them and include them in education and reform through residential homes and institutions and to follow up their care within foster or friendly families. (Attach a link to the children's page after uploading it to the site)
Juvenile care
The Juvenile Welfare Department supervises several social homes to reform and rehabilitate delinquent persons or those exposed to both sexes' delinquency and direct them to the right path. It also works to provide training and educational programs that enhance the System's work and entertainment, social and artistic programs.
Elderly care
Empowering the elderly in the Kingdom and improving their quality of life by involving them in society and by providing them with voluntary contributions that transfer their experiences and knowledge to other generations, and by providing them with comprehensive care (health, social, and psychological) through social care homes, and providing financial aid through the Social Security Agency, and providing them for compensatory devices such as medical families. Chairs, headphones, and more.
Combating begging
The Anti-begging Department was found to curb Saudi beggars and lay the foundations for correct reform and guidance by directing the elderly to social care homes, patients to specialized hospitals, and providing financial aid from social security or charities the needy financially after studying their case. At the same time, children are subject to educational home regulations to ensure a sound social upbringing.
Persons with disabilities
To ensure the empowerment of people with disabilities and raise their level of independence within their communities, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has been keen to provide suitable employment and education opportunities. It provides facilities to help them achieve progress and success in employing various medical, social, psychological, educational and professional services.
Among its initiatives:
- Home social rehabilitation program for the people with disabilities, the elderly, and the bedridden
- Cards to reduce the wages of public transportation and traffic facilities.
- Exemption from paying visa fees for people with disabilities
For more details please click here.
Preventive Support and Funding Programs
The two programs of assistance for job seekers (Hafiz) and the difficulty in obtaining work
The two programs provide financial support for a year to people who are serious about searching for work. This support is to motivate them to continue searching until they can find sustainable jobs and provide them with the skills and resources necessary to ensure they're joining and participating in the labor market as required. You can register for the Hafiz program by searching for work via the link and register for Hafiz Difficulty Finding Work via the link. You can also view here the regulatory list for job search aid
SANED System
It is a program that works to meet the employees' needs during force majeure, such as pandemics, conditions beyond the control of the individual, disrupting events, or during the transition between two jobs. This program is to support the beneficiaries with monthly sums of money by the Social Insurance to ensure the continuity of a decent living. Beneficiaries can verify their eligibility through the electronic service of the SANED System, and you can also view the organizational bylaw of the SANED System.
Supporting productive families
It is a program that organizes the workflow of productive families. It enables them economically to achieve self-sufficiency and improve their living frameworks by providing interest-free loans. This service can be accessed through the Social Development Bank or here, such as obtaining a family loan to encourage them to pursue business professions independently.
To view the regulations for productive families' work.
Citizen Account Program (For poor and below poverty)
It is a program established to protect Saudi families from the expected direct and indirect impacts of various economic reforms. These impacts may cause an additional burden on some segments of society. So, by redirecting government benefits to those who are entitled, it may lead to rational consumption and in a way that guarantees direct access to the amounts to beneficiaries. Registration in the Citizen Account Program is available. Also, inquiries are available regarding the eligibility status of the Citizen Account Program.
Social support and financing programs
Social benefits:
Financial and social benefits are disbursed to help families who care for one or more people with disabilities, orphans, or the like, whose care has been entrusted to the Ministry's Agency for Social Welfare and Development, and they are:
- Families of people with disabilities
- Foster families for orphans
- The sponsorship period has expired
- Marriage
- Provide chairs for the disabled and equip their cars
Security Pension:
It is the amount that is delivered to particular beneficiaries. They should fall under the provisions of the social security system, and it is disbursed monthly to:
- Orphans
- Those who have reached old age (60 years) or more
- Those who are incapable of work are permanently disabled for any health reason
- Persons incapable of work temporarily incapacitated by any health reason
- The woman who has no provider
- The unreliable family
It can be applied for the security pension service via this link.
Financial aid for people with disabilities
The Kingdom seeks to empower persons with disabilities registered with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development by providing monthly financial benefits. You can apply for the online service for financial aid for people with disabilities via the link.
Marriage aid for orphans
It is for orphans with special circumstances who want to get married. The service was launched to facilitate marriage and reduce the burden by paying a one-time financial aid. The Marriage Subsidy for Orphans Service can be accessed through this link.
Social and family financial support
- Marriage support: granted to young people who are about to get married and whose monthly income is less than 12,500 riyals
- Renovation financing: granted to those in need of rebuilding their homes or in need of repair operations
- Self-employment financing: It is granted to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of those wishing to enter into self-employment and raise the productivity of their work, skills, and experience.
- Family financing: granted to families who suffer from family responsibilities at rates that exceed their financial capacity
- Kanaf financing: granted to widowed and divorced women who are in new need to bear the costs and burdens of life.
Residential and housing support programs
Request housing support
A service provided by the Ministry of Housing targeting male and female citizens, enabling them to register in the housing support request lists without any fees to verify their eligibility to receive housing support and then determine who is eligible. Citizens can also calculate the amount of support that the Ministry about ready-made housing units will provide, housing units under construction, and real estate loan by filling in the required data in the housing support calculator service.
Developmental housing
The Ministry of Housing has worked in integration and partnership with NGOs and civil institutions to achieve housing support by providing housing units for deserving and most needy families in society and covered under the auspices of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
Coronavirus Support Programs (COVID-19)
Community Fund
It is a cash donation fund established in response to the new Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, in partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the General Authority for Endowments, according to a specific mission of providing general services from the pandemic, including relief and community services. The fund also receives contributions from individuals and institutions and implements initiatives through accredited NGOs to reach beneficiaries and verify their needs.
Retirement and social insurance
The Kingdom cares about providing a standard of living benefits to retired civil and military employees. Also, it keeps providing them with social and economic security elements even after they have performed their role in serving the homeland for many years. So, Saudi Arabia has issued several regulations for retirement to protect retirees and beneficiaries' rights. It is granting them an insurance umbrella to achieve the decent and stable standard of living they desire.
Civil retirement:
It regulates civilians' pension rights who worked for government agencies and institutions and had an actual service period spent on a rank in the state's general budget.
Civil retirement services: Social Insurance provides several services to civilian retirees through the Civil Retirement Services link.
Military retirement:
It regulates the military's retirement rights, who worked for the armed forces, institutions, military bodies in the state, and had an adequate service period.
Military retirement services: Military retirement services are available via the Military Retirement Services link.
Social insurance (public and private sector):
The core of the corporation's electronic services was launched in 1393 AH (1973 AD) through the adoption of information technology to be an essential part of the organization's business. These concepts developed overtime to move the institution to the stage that we are witnessing today in which social insurance provides all its services to subscribers and customers automatically. E-services enhance the institution's vision to achieve high-efficiency and adequate social insurance and create full integration with the other e-government services system. To register for the subscriber's online insurance please click here.
Family Protection
It is the entity that protects people from domestic violence in any form of exploitation, such as physical, psychological, sexual abuse, or any threats. Violence occurs when a person infringes on another person's limits, such as controlling his money in terms of guardianship, authority, or responsibility. Because of the family relationship or dependency relationship, a guarantee, a guardianship, or a living affiliation, it becomes a sensitive issue. For more details about the General Administration of Family Protection please click here.
Family protection services or filing a report:
The Ministry contributes to raising the level of protection systems and their mechanisms and works to spread awareness among society members about harm and its consequences and address behavioral phenomena in the community. You can also review the comprehensive introductory guide to domestic violence, its forms, and its severity
Regulations on family protection:
Important links
- Development and social care services
- Social development budget
- Laws and regulations for development and social welfare
- E-Participation
- Open data - development and social welfare
- Frequently asked questions about development and social care
- Subscribe to alerts and updates on development and social care
Relevant Agencies
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development
- Social and Family Welfare Agency
- Social Security Agency
- Community Development Agency
- General Administration for Family Protection
- The Public Institution for Social Security
- Social Development Bank
- The Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing
Last Modified Date: 29/03/2021 - 2:53 PM Saudi Arabia Time